Pedal attachment for velocipedes



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' W. WHEELER.

PEDAL ATTACHMENT FOR VELOUIPEDES.

No. 458,608. Patented Sept. 1,1891.

WZ'ZZZam Wizeelaz;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. WHEELER.

PEDAL ATTACHMENT FOR VELOGIPEDES.

Patented Sept. 1, 1891.

I l/M UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICEa \VILLIAM lVHEELER, OF TERRELL, TEXAS.

PEDAL ATTACHMENT FOR VELOCIPEDES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,608, dated September 1, 1891.

Application filed April 25, 1891. Serial No. 390,466. (No model.)

To all whom it may con-corn.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM WHEELER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terrell, in the county of Kaufman and State of Texas, have invented a new and usef ulSafety Attachment for Pedals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a safety attachment for the pedals of bicycles, tricycles, and other wheeled vehicles operated by the feet through the medium of pedals; and the objects in view are to provide an attachment that will form a long bearing for the foot of the rider, thus avoiding dead-centers in the revolutions of the cranks, and to provide means for preventing any slipping of the pedals, so obj ectionably recognized by all riders of machines.

A further object is to combine with the above advantages a device of cheap and simple construction adapted to be readily applied .to the pedals or detached therefrom.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective of a pedal, my attachment being in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a reverse view. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of the attachment.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

In practicing my invention I employ a bar 1 of steel, and at the front end of the same reduce the bar to form a threaded shank 2, upon which is mounted a weight 3, having a threaded bore 4: and maintained in adjusted position by a set-nut 5 passing through the same and impinging upon the shank. Near tuse angle to the main portion 1 and forn'ling a rearwardly disposed curved terminal (3. The central portion of the bar is provided with an elongated slot 7 and at each side of the same with perforations 8. Near its rear end the bar is provided with an opening 5), and a fiat spring-blade 10 is riveted to the terminal at the angle of the bar and lies upon the same to a point near the opening 9, and by reason of the curvature given the terminal at this point extends above the opening and beyond the same. Directly in rear of the spring-blade 10 there is fixed upon the terminal at its upper side a circular-headed stud 11. A curved flat spring 12 is riveted to the under side at the rear end of the terminal, is passed forwardly under the same, as shown, and provided with an opening 13, in which is headed the lower end of a shouldered latch 14, the upper beveled end of which, together with its shoulder, may be forced up through the opening 9 of the terminal and in contact with the free end of the spring-blade 10, so that, its shoulder resting upon the rear edge of the opening 9, said blade serves to lock the latch in position between the termina and blade, and thus elevate the blade against its own tension and that of the spring 12. Keepers 15 are located near the front and rear ends of the spring 12, and through the same is passed a wire-guide bent at opposite sides to form guide portions 16, loosely embracing the terminal G. A bracket 17 of. inverted-L shape is riveted, as at 18, to the under side of the terminal directly in front of the latch, and is provided at its rear side and lower end with a rearwardly-disposed supporting-stud 19, taking under the lower end of the latch and serving to limit the downward movement of the spring 12 and confine the same.

20 designates a shoe the same being provided with a metal plate 21, secured by screws 22 to the heel of the shoe, and near the front edge thereof provided with a transvere slot 23, which communicates with a recess 25L, formed directly in the front edge of the heel.

25 designates a pedal; 26, the crank upon which the spindle 27 of the pedal is mounted; 28, the opposite rubber rolls, and 29 the connecting yoke-plates. its middle the bar is upwardly bent at an ob- The spindle of the pedal is embraced by inverted-Ushaped clip 30, the lower terminals of which pass through either one of the perforations 8 and the elongated central perforation 7 of the bar 1, and in this manner said bar may be adjusted longitudinally with The bar 1 rests in a metal tion and having perforations 32 for the reception of the terminals of the clip, below which plate said terminals are provided with nuts 33. The plate, being U-shaped when bound in position by the nuts, has the edges of its terminals forced into the rubber roll and serves to aid the clip in lending stability and preventing any displacement or movement upon the part of the attachment independent of the treadle.

In operation the spring 12 and the terminal of the bar are grasped between the thumb and forefinger and the spring 12 at its free end compressed toward the terminal, so that the upper end of the latch raises the springblade and is caught thereby with its shoulder resting upon the edge of the perforation 9 of said terminal. The spring 12 is guided in its movements by the guide portions or wires 15. After the attachment of each treadle has been set in the manner described the rider mounts the machine, and when the pedal assumes a proper position the front edge of the heel-plate is inserted between the stud 11 and the rear elevated end of the spring-blade 10, and by a sudden push of the foot the latch is forced to the front, so that its shoulder is no longer engaged by the edge of the opening 9, and said latch is withdrawn by the spring 12. This withdrawal of the latch causes the spring-blade to snap down upon the inner surface of the heel-plate, and said plate is at this time connected with the stud 11 by reason of the latter having entered the slot. The connection between the shoe and the attachment is now complete, and the machine may be ridden without any fear whatever of the foot slipping the pedals. By reason of the transverse slot being elongated it will be obvious that the rider can the more readily find the stud 11. hen in position, it will be seen that the entire foot from the ball to the heel constitutes abridge bearing at the two points mentioned, and thus the rider is provided with a long bearing by which he is enabledto control the pedals better, exert greater power direct from th e muscles of the heel and leg, and prevent the formation of the dead-center at any time during the revolution of the crank. In order to disengage the foot from-the attachment, it is simply necessary to raise the toe of the shoe, using the rear end of the heel as a fulcrum, which elevates the spring-blade, and the heel may be readily disengaged from the stud.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. The herein-described safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of a bar adapted to be applied to the pedals and having its rear end extended beyond the same to form a heel-support and its front end provided with an adjustable counterbalancingweight, substantially as specified.

2. The herein-described safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of a bar adapted to be secured to the pedal, said bar having its front end terminating in a threaded shank and at its rear end bent to form a heelsupport, and a board and threaded weight mounted. upon the shank and provided with a set-screw for impinging thereon, substantially as specified.

3. The herein-described safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of a bar adapted to be connected to the pedal and having its rear end curved to form a heel-support, and ablade secured to the bent portion of the bar and at its rear end deflected from the same, whereby it is adapted to enter a recess formed in the front edge of the heel of a shoe, substantially as specified.

at. The herein-described safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of a bar adapted to be secured to the pedal and terminating in rear of the pedal in a curved heelsupport, having a stud adapted to enter an opening formed in the heel-plate of a shoe, and a rearwardly-disposed blade secured to the bent portion of the bar,deflected at its rear end from said bent portion, and terminating short of the stud,whereby it is adapted to engage an opening formed in the front edge of the heel of a shoe above the heel-plate thereof, substantially as specified.

5. The safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of a bar adapted to be connected to the pedal and extending rearwardly beyond the same to form a heel-supporting terminal provided with an opening, a stud I mounted in rear of the same, a spring-blade connected to the terminal, overlappingthe perforation,and deflected from the terminal, said stud and blade being adapted to engage the opening and the front edge, respectively, of a heel-plate secured to the shoe, a shouldered latch located below the perforation of the terminal, and a spring for normally withdrawing the latch, substantially as specified.

6. The safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of the bar adapted to be secured to the pedal and bent rearwardly in rear of the same to form a curved heel-supporting terminal having a perforation, a stud located in rear of the perforation, a springblade secured to the terminal overlapping the perforation and terminating short of the stud,

a curved spring secured to the rear end of cured to the pedal and extended to form a rear curved terminal having a perforation, a headed stud mounted 011 the terminal in rear of the perforation and adapted to engage with a slot in the heel-plate secured to the shoe, a spring-blade secured to the terminal and ter minating short of the stud and adapted to engage in a recess formed in a heel above the heel-plate, and devices for wedging between the rear end of the spring-blade and terminal and elevating said terminal temporarily, substantially as specified.

8. The safety attachment for the pedals of cycles, consisting of the bar adapted to be connected with the pedal, rearwardly curved to form a heel-support, having a perforation, and in rear of the same provided with a stud, a spring-blade secured to the terminal terminating above the perforation and short of the stud, a curved spring secured to the rear end of the terminal and forwardly bent under the perforation, an inverted- L-shaped stop secured to the terminal and terminating under theend of the spring,ashoulderedlatch mounted on the end of the spring and adapted to pass through the perforation in the terminal, and a pair of guides located at the opposite sides of the spring and loosely embracing the terminals, substantially as specified.

9. The combination, with the pedal of a cycle, comprising the opposite rubber rolls and the intermediate spindle, of the herein-described attachment, consisting of the bar having the perforations and extended in the rear to form a heel-support, means for locking the support to the heel of a shoe, an inverted U-shaped clip straddling the spindle passing through the perforations of the bar, a securing-plate U-shaped in cross-section and receiving the bar, having its edges resting against the rubber rolls and perforated to receive the terminals of the clip, and bindingnuts mounted upon said terminals, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

\VILLIAM \VHEELER.

Witnesses:

T. C. BRANTLEY, ED. R. BUMPoss. 

